Method for playing a modified game of Chess

ABSTRACT

The invention is a method for playing a modified game of chess where the movement of the pieces is unbounded on a two dimensional surface. Also, the invention uses all the original rules of Chess. The invention also has a unique game board and assigns each player two separate sets of pawns.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The prior invention that is most related to this invention is the classic game of Chess. Chess has for centuries been regarded as one of mankind's best tests of strategic understanding and thinking. The game of Chess has often been emulated and/or modified by other inventors to create new games. This invention is one such modification. However, no prior modifications, to our knowledge, have used the principals enlisted in this invention. Some previous modifications to the game of Chess include games with Multiplayers, three dimensions, and games that have various and new board shapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invented game set forth here is similar to the game of Chess in that all the chess pieces move according to specified rules. For example, a rook can move in one dimension in a straight line along a single row or can move in another dimension in a straight line along a single column of a checkered board. The specified rules allow for movability along two dimensions, along the row going left and right and along the column going up and down. In the case of a knight the specified rules allow for movability along one dimension as well as movability in the other dimension at the same time. By similar analysis the same is true for the remaining pieces. The specific movability of each chess piece can be found in THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA 1948, pages 1356-1359.

[0003] The invention uses modifications of several of the elements used in the classic Chess game. For instance, chess is played on a bounded checkered board made up of sixty-four squares and bounded on four sides in such a way to form a square. This finite playing surface is represented by an eight by eight square game board. However, the invented game is played on a modified playing surface, also a bounded board, in such a way where normal restrictions to movement are removed. This can be accomplished by using a modified rectangular checkered board and by using appropriate rules of play for chess pieces to move across boundaries of a bounded board. Also, the invented game uses sixteen pawns per player, not eight, by adding a rear facing row of pawns behind the King's row. This creates a symmetrical chess game on two fronts. The flat board of normal Chess itself has been modified to create an entirely new game board, one that is one hundred-twelve squares.

[0004] As stated above, it is possible for no boundaries to exist on this game's playing surface with regard to two dimensions. A chess piece can never be trapped or cornered against the end of the bounded game board, because the rectangular game board along with the rules of play represent a curved playing surface. For example, a playing surface that functions as a cylinder or toroid in exactly the same way a map represents the curved surface of the earth, thus allowing the map to function as a globe. The boundary of the map does not represent a boundary on the earth's surface, since the earth's surface has no boundaries as such. The curved playing surface of the invented game may be a toroid, or donut shape. Playing on such a surface allows for the movability of game pieces along two dimensions to be independent of the location of the game pieces on the playing surface. If a rectangular board, in this instance fourteen squares by eight squares, were curved so that the right edge was connected to the left edge it would create a cylindrical shape. Playing on a cylindrical surface allows for the movability of game pieces along one dimension to be independent of the location of the game pieces on the playing surface. If the top edge of the cylinder was then curved around and connected to the bottom edge, then a toroid would be created. Using this curved surface as the field of play enables the chess pieces to move without boundaries. The game is played on this fourteen by eight square game board that is essentially a “map” of the surface of the toroid, meaning that the game board's surface functions as if the squares on the edges were physically connected with the squares on the opposite side of the board.

[0005] Also, unlike classic Chess this game utilizes twice the number of pawns for each player as described above. In classic Chess a player's eight forward facing pawns move toward the opposite end of the game board and encounter the opponents pawns moving across the board in the exact opposite way. This element in classic Chess is unchanged in this game. However, this principal is duplicated in the opposite direction for each player allowing expanded game and strategic possibilities. For each player his front and rear facing pawns will never encounter each other. Also, it is only possible for a player's front facing pawns to encounter their opponent's front facing pawns and similarly with the rear facing pawns in the course of the game. All of these advancements do not change any of classic “Chess” rules as to how chess pieces move including “en passant,” and “castling.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1. is a schematic drawing that illustrates the board and position of each chess piece at the start of the game and the coordinate system of the squares of the board.

[0007]FIG. 2. is a schematic drawing of the board and squares that illustrates several examples of chess pieces moving about the board as if it were bent into a toroid. It also illustrates how imaginary squares are to be treated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] In describing the illustration on FIG. 1. there is shown the game board as it would appear at the start of the game before any player has moved a chess piece. The coordinates indicate the eight columns, and fourteen rows of the board. Columns are indicated by letters A-H and rows are indicated by numbers 1-14. Setup for the player using black chess pieces is as follows. Rows 10 and 12 consists of a pawn on each square of those rows totaling sixteen pawns. Row 11 contains the chess pieces in the following order from left to right: Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, and Rook. Setup for the player using white chess pieces is as follows. Rows 3 and 5 consist of a pawn on each square of those rows totaling sixteen pawns. Row 4 contains the chess pieces in the following order from left to right: Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, and Rook. Each players King is always placed on a square of the opposite color of the King. A white King is placed on a black square and a black King is placed on a white square.

[0009] A pawn becomes “ranked” when it reaches the row in which the opponent's King was placed at the start of the game. White pawns are “ranked” when they reach row 11 and black pawns are “ranked” when they reach row 4.

[0010] In describing the illustration of FIG. 2. there are shown imaginary squares. 1 and 2 are examples of imaginary squares which contain coordinates to the squares they correspond to. In essence they are the squares that their coordinates name. In each case, the imaginary squares represent the actual corresponding squares that can be found on the exact opposite side of the board, as shown in the illustration. Bishop 3 using the principle of the imaginary squares is able to capture pawn 4. If the path of the bishop 3 is traced by the arrows, it starts on square A12, moves to B13, then to C14, then to D1, and finally E2 where the pawn 4 was located. Rook 5 using the principle of the imaginary squares is able to capture bishop 6. If the path of Rook 5 is traced by the arrows, it starts on square G10, moves to G11, G12, G13, G14, then to G1, G2, G3, and finally G3 where the bishop 6 was located. One can note that the position of pawn 9 appears to block the path to bishop 6 by rook 5. In Classic Chess this would be true and rook 5 would be prevented from capturing bishop 6. Bishop 7, using the principle of the imaginary squares, is allowed to move in a direction which, from this location, would not be allowed in the normal game of Chess. Bishop 7 is then able to capture rook 8. If the path of the bishop 7 is traced by the arrows, it starts on square H14, moves to A1, B2, C3, then to D4 where the rook 8 was located. Knight 10 using the principle of the imaginary squares is able to capture pawn 11. If the path of the knight 10 starts on B7, moves to A7, then to H7, and finally to H6 where it captures the pawn 11. Pawn 11 using the principle of the imaginary squares is able to capture pawn 12. If pawn 11 starts on H6, it can move to A7 where pawn 12 is located. 

We claim:
 1. A method for playing a game in which there are game pieces which may move on a surface comprising the acts of; moving said game pieces according to specified rules, where said specified rules include movability of said pieces along one dimension, and creating a finite two dimensional surface of play which provides said movability on said finite surface to be independent of the location of said pieces on said finite surface.
 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said creating comprises setting up rules of play allowing game pieces to move across boundaries of a bounded board.
 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said rules of play enable said finite surface to function as a cylinder.
 4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said finite surface of play is the surface of a cylinder.
 5. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said specified rules are the rules according to which normal chess pieces may move, and where said game is a modified game of chess, and where said game pieces are said normal chess pieces.
 6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said bounded board is a rectangular checkered board.
 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said modified game of chess comprises the act of using more then eight pawns per player.
 8. A method as recited in claim 7 comprising the act of using sixteen pawns per player.
 9. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said finite surface of play functions as the surface of a cylinder.
 10. A method as recited in claim 6 comprising the act of setting up eight pawns on the row in front of and eight pawns on the row behind each players' king.
 11. A method for playing a game in which there are game pieces which may move on a surface comprising the acts of, moving said game pieces according to specified rules, where said specified rules include movability of said pieces along two dimensions, and creating a finite two dimensional surface of play which provides said movability on said finite surface to be independent of the location of said pieces on said finite surface.
 12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said creating comprises setting up rules of play allowing game pieces to move across boundaries of a bounded board.
 13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said rules of play enable said finite surface to function as a toroid.
 14. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said finite surface of play is the surface of a toroid.
 15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said specified rules are the rules according to which normal chess pieces may move, and where said game is a modified game of chess, and where said game pieces are said normal chess pieces.
 16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said bounded board is a rectangular checkered board.
 17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said modified game of chess comprises the act of using more then eight pawns per player.
 18. A method as recited in claim 17 comprising the act of using sixteen pawns per player.
 19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said rules of play include rules in which opposite sides of a rectangular board behave as if they were connected thus allowing pieces to move freely from one edge to the other.
 20. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said finite surface of play functions as the surface of a toroid.
 21. A method as recited in claim 16 comprising the act of setting up eight pawns on the row in front of and eight pawns on the row behind each players' king. 